Arson Suspected in Three Alarm Apartment Fire

posted by Jim Forsyth, photo credit Shutterstock Images
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2 years ago

At least one person was hospitalized and dozens of people were driven out of their homes in a three alarm fire at a north east side apartment complex Sunday morning, 1200 WOAI news reports.

Police have one suspect in custody, and officials think that the fire was arson.

When firefighters arrived at the apartment building at Loop 410 and Harry Wurzbach about 6AM, they found flames shooting out of the upper floor of the three story building.

Fire crews, who were hampered in their effort to get to the fire by the apartment complex's packed parking lot, first 'went defensive' and concentrated on getting residents out of the building and preventing the fire, which was moving quickly through the building's attic, from spreading.

One person was rushed to the hospital with a facial injury. Several others were checked out at the scene for smoke inhalation.

Firefighters went door to door waking up residents and pulled them to safety. At one point, police had to be called to deal with a resident who firefighters said was 'hysterical.'

At one point, thirty fire trucks and other units were on the scene.

Crews had be pulled back several times due to collapsing walls and ceilings. It was more than twenty minutes before firefighters got the residents out and were comfortable enough with the building to begin knocking down the fire.

The Red Cross has been called in to help with residents who were displaced by the fire.